Rio has been occupied in the greenhouse among the floating data around him for a few hours after his arrival. Rita is on the other side of the room, focusing on processing the data related to the design of a planting medium and carrying out the production trial using machines outside the room.

It doesn’t feel like time has passed when Rio and Rita focus on their task. Amid his work, Rio looked out the window while keeping hydrated as he noticed that the sun was about to set. Rita seems to finish her research and approaches Rio just out of curiosity about what he saw.

“Planting medium has been printed. We should be able to apply the engineered plants tomorrow,” Rita reported.

“Wow, I don’t expect it to be ready that fast. Alright, we can go home without overtime and—”

Rita catches Rio swiftly as he suddenly loses all of his strength. He quickly regains control in just a few minutes and stands back up, although Rita still needs to help him sit.

“Rio?! I’ll call an ambulance!”

“N-no need. I’ll just need to rest for a bit now. No need to make any calls.”

“But…”

Rio relaxed his elbows on the table while his head rested on them. He tried to gather his consciousness again and yawned, taking as much oxygen as his body needed.

“I don’t know that I’ve hit my limit. At this rate, I can’t go home since I feel like I will pass out any second later.”

“You always work until late, Rio?” asked the girl while rubbing Rio’s back gently.

“Yeah…. I need to make sure the proposal is ready for the next meeting ….”

“Gosh, you need to be more careful from now on. Would it be better if I take you to your home so you could get some rest right away?”

“It’s okay, really… It’s okay. How about you make me some hot tea like usual? I’m sure drinking your tea will make me better.”

Rita takes a deep breath. “Really, I don’t understand why my tea can push your fatigue away. But, okay. Wait a minute. I’ll make it quick.”

She rushed out, leaving Rio, who was trying to inhale as much oxygen as he could.

About five minutes later, Rita returned with a glass of hot tea as requested by her friend. However, she found Rio is currently snoring at the table. She can see how Rio’s shoulder moves slowly as his breath goes, as if his body is trying to make up for the sleep hours he has lost.

“Hah, I know it,” said Rita sighing in relief. She put the hot tea somewhere else and let him sink into his sleep.

A few hours have passed. Rio’s consciousness is returning back as he tries to move his muscles that had been limp on the table. When he turns to look out the window, it is evening since the lights are on. He noticed that he had slept for two and a half hours.

He wipes his eyes with his left hand because his right hand feels heavy. His hand grips something that feels warm, making him sleep even more soundly, as if someone was protecting him while he was off guard.

“Hmm?”

Rio notices that Rita is also asleep across the table, with their hands gripping each other. Rio couldn’t remember when his hands interlocked with Rita’s fingers which were so soft and gave him a feeling of security. He panicked and was about to pull his hand back.

“…”

Rio is trying to calm down and let his hand stay that way. He looks at the girl who sleeps before him while stroking Rita’s fingers gently. More or less, he understood why he could hold Rita’s fingers tightly like that.

Who knows, if I pulled my hand, Rita would wake up soon. I don’t want to disturb her.

He rested his chin on his hand while observing Rita’s facial features. When Rio thinks about it, he never really looked into Rita properly all this time.

No other sound could be heard other than the soft chirping of insects and the light snoring of his female friend. Rio guessed that there wasn’t anyone left in the greenhouse beside them.

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“We’re finally together again, huh?” Rio said to Rita quietly. Even though he knew Rita wouldn’t be able to reply.

Rio slightly strengthened his grip and smiled.

“Rita, thank you for always being by my side.”

He smiles, a genuine smile coming from deep in his heart. Rita, who is sleeping, makes it easier for Rio to express his feelings. Perhaps, speaking in one direction does provide a sense of comfort for him.

Rio doesn’t get tired of looking at Rita and nods.

“I must admit. At first, I tried to make this proposal as an attempt to comfort my rejected feelings toward Arisa. At that time, my thoughts were scrambled. What is more important, between personal feelings and our mission for the earth in the future? If we calmly think about it, the second is undoubtedly why we’re in this era from the beginning, right?

However, I am just an ordinary man. I have my own feelings, and it made me chase someone who suddenly disappeared from my life for years, and accidentally, we met again here. I really didn’t expect that opportunity to come back to me at that time. I managed to meet Arisa again, isn’t that what I’ve been looking for all this time?

Maybe because I was filled with euphoria even though I tried to act normal before her, which ultimately affected my decision to confess to her right away. As if covered in fog and trying to get out, my mind urges me to express my feelings immediately while there is still a chance. I’m afraid of losing Arisa a second time.”

His interlocked hand is getting more relaxed as Rio takes a deep breath.

“On the other hand, I’m also glad that Arisa thought about my feelings seriously, so she needed some time to consider it. The answer she gave was an honest one. Since pretty much that’s the outcome of my confession, I shouldn’t dwell on my feelings so deeply anymore. In the end, I’m still deeply hurt.

“According to Valerie’s suggestion, someone can forget any painful memories if they focus their mind to keep occupied. For me, this method is quite successful. I don’t have time to think if I’m regretting my choice to confess at that time. Instead, I put all my mind and energy into this proposal.”

Rio takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. It feels lighter when he expresses his feelings like this. Rita is deeply asleep, so she probably wasn’t really listening. However, the grip of her hand really gives him a sense of comfort.

“And then there you are, as you came every night when I worked on it. At first, I didn’t think much of your presence. My proposal is my most priority. However, day by day, I slowly noticed your support. Well, Valerie is also supportive. But, it’s not much compared to you.”

Rio chuckles.

“So, I no longer see you as my friend anymore. Instead, you are someone who means more to me. Oh, don’t get me wrong. Rita is not a substitute for Arisa for me. However, she is someone who happened to catch my attention while I was learning to let Arisa go. The girl who likes ice cream very much is great in her own way. However, Rita is the one who can make my heart warm.”

Rio strokes Rita’s hair as gently as possible so she won’t wake up.

“Stay right by my side, Rita.”

Rio re-checked the laptop regarding his proposal without letting go of that hand. After a few minutes, he yawned again. He still needs more rest.

So, Rio tried to find a comfortable position to relax his muscles and fell asleep shortly after. Only the sound of the night insects remained if anyone was still present to listen.

Until then, Rita slowly lifts her head and looks at Rio in disbelief. Her face was bright red, and one of her hands covered her tiny lips. The girl was clearly listening to what Rio had said from the beginning.

She held her chest to check her heartbeat. Of course, it’s beating wildly. She feels her face burning right now.

I… earlier… woke up when Rio’s grip started moving…

At first, I didn’t feel like sleeping here because Grandma was alone at home. However, I also don’t want to wake up in the middle of Rio’s talk.

“…”

What a shame! Why did I accidentally hold his hand when Rio was still asleep! And I fall asleep too when I think I need to rest my eyes just a bit! Haah…

Rita wants to run away and bury her head deep in the ground. However, she couldn’t do that because her hand was still locked with Rio’s.

It took her a few minutes to look at his face, looking at the window, looking back at Rio’s face, back again at the window, and like that several times.

Until she can calm down and exhales slowly. The girl tried to slowly pull her hand, escaping Rio’s fingers. Apparently, He didn’t wake up when Rita managed to pull it back.

“Oh, really. He really that tired,” said Rita with a chuckle.

The girl decided to head outside to reheat Rio’s tea and make another one for herself in ten minutes before returning to Rio’s desk. Looking at the clock, Rita thought that it was time to go home, so she rubbed Rio’s shoulders until he woke up.

“Ah—oh. What’s the time now?”

“Eight past twenty minutes, at night. We should go home now,” answered Rita while enjoying her hot tea.

Rio scratched his head while trying to gather his senses back. He found a cup of hot tea ready and tasted it just a little. “You’re right. It’s time to go home. Our house should be waiting.”

Rita smiles. “Don’t forget to have an immediate sleep. Let’s call it a day since our research will be safe here. Proper rest is needed to give our all in our project.”

“Indeed. I’d listen to you since our project will be delayed again if I were to catch the flu.”

“That’s right!”

They cleaned up this place and turned the lights off. They ensure that everything has been done as they walk out of the greenhouse, quickly greeted by the bright moonlight. Finally, the usual dark hallway can be seen as they walk through it to leave the office.

Rio is still enjoying his now lukewarm tea as he has been careful on his walk. Meanwhile, Rita is peeking sneakily while keeping Rio on watch since he looks pretty tired in her eyes.

“Stay right by my side, Rita.”

Those words are now deeply engraved inside her mind. She can’t help but blush as Rio’s request almost confuses her senses.

“Hmm? What’s wrong?”

“W-wha?! There’s nothing wrong as far as I know?”

“That’s weird. Perhaps, are you seeing things at this time and place?” teases Rio.

“Don’t say something absurd like that. C’mon, we gotta go home quickly!”

Rita definitely can’t forget what happened that night.